Brussels is taking Bulgaria to the EU Court of Justice over two breaches of EU law – rules on the internal electricity market and rules on hiring vehicles without drivers to carry goods, the European Commission said today. It also reported progress on six infringement cases in total against the country.
In the first case, the Commission says Bulgaria never wrote EU rules protecting energy consumers and letting everyone take part in the electricity market into its own law. The deadline was December 31, 2020. Sofia got a formal notice in February 2021 and a reasoned opinion in April 2023. The Commission has checked Bulgaria's replies and says the rules still are not fully in place.
Among the gaps, the Commission points to third-party access to the grid, permits for new power plants, consumers' right to join collective switching schemes, and flexibility in distribution networks. It also sees weak spots in how the transmission operator handles digital systems, data and ancillary services outside frequency control. The same goes for the energy regulator's powers to track investment in generation and storage, self-generated power, and to approve the methods used for ancillary services.
The second case concerns minimum standards for vehicles hired without a driver to carry goods – rules meant to cut costs and give road hauliers more flexibility. The deadline to bring them in was August 6, 2023, but Bulgaria has adopted only one of the required provisions. The Commission says Bulgarian authorities have not done enough.
A separate case concerns Bulgaria's law on farmland, which says people and companies must have lived or been based in Bulgaria for more than five years before they can buy land. The rules date back to 2014, and Brussels has been pushing for a fix since 2016. The Commission says the five-year rule unfairly restricts the free movement of capital and the right to set up a business, and the issue remains unresolved despite talks with Bulgaria.
In a ruling on January 18, 2024, the EU Court of Justice found that EU rules on the free movement of capital rule out a national law requiring more than five years' residence in an EU country before someone can buy farmland. Bulgaria now has two months to bring its law into line, or the Commission may take the case to the European Court.
On digital services rules, the Commission is sending Bulgaria an extra formal notice. EU countries must name digital services coordinators – national bodies that enforce the rules at home. Bulgaria has passed a law giving one body this power, but has not also named the Commission for Personal Data Protection or the Council for Electronic Media as coordinators.
Brussels says the power to issue penalties is not being applied correctly. The law does not always stick to the maximum fine limits and does not guarantee penalties that are effective, proportionate and act as a real deterrent. Treating individuals and companies differently is also a problem. Back in May 2025, the Commission had already said it was worried Bulgaria was not fully meeting the digital services rules. Bulgaria now has two months to respond.
Along with the Czech Republic, Spain, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland and Romania, Bulgaria is also facing action over waste from electrical and electronic equipment. The new rules call for more reuse, recycling and recovery, and say manufacturers must cover the cost of handling waste solar panels – including panels placed on the market before the rules changed. The deadline to bring them in was October 9 last year. Warning letters went out in November, and the seven countries now have two months to reply before the Commission can take them to court.
The Commission has also sent a reasoned opinion to 16 countries, including Bulgaria, over the incomplete rollout of rules on consumer credit agreements. The deadline was November 20 last year, proceedings began in January, and if Bulgaria does not reply within two months, Brussels can ask the court to impose fines.